Has Rafa Benitez got his shopping priorities wrong?

Why the capture of Keane and possibly Barry will do little for Liverpool’s pursuit of the Premier League this season.

Although I am very excited about the arrival of Robbie Keane and possibly Gareth Barry still, and do believe that they will improve Liverpool’s attacking potency, creativity and overall grit in the league, the absence of a winger on Rafa Benitez’s shopping list has once again dampened my hopes of a 19^th Liverpool league crown.

The arrival of Robbie Keane is one of great anticipation, yet I am a little worried as to how he will fit into the team. Liverpool’s strength last season was eventually found in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Torres proving more than effective as a lone striker, being supported behind by Gerrard, Babel and Kuyt.

Placating both the indispensable Torres, and the newly purchased Keane will mean a two up top policy surely? I am positive neither will be happy playing elsewhere as a wing forward or coming from deep, and nor should they be.

Unless the unpredictable Benitez is planning on keeping the lone striker system, and changing Keane and Torres every week, two up front seems the only logical formation to go with.

Now, this obviously means a change behind the strikers. With two strikers seeming likely, something Benitez has rarely been content with, is it conceivable to see an almost old fashioned 4-4-2 re-appear in Liverpool’s armory?

I am not entirely sure as to what other system could be played, other than potentially an obscure use of Babel and Gerrard, but a 4-4-2 seems the safest bet.

So, assuming there is a four-man midfield, and that Gerrard will remain in the middle, it begs the question as to where both Barry, and the ever popular Mascherano will feature. Without two strikers it would simply be two holding midfielders, like Mascherano and Alonso played much of towards the end of last season.

But with a four-man midfield, unless Gerrard will be shunted back out wide, either Barry or Mascherano will have to make way, and they both cost £18m. I doubt either will be content at life on the bench.

But my main issue does not lie in what system Rafa will deploy, nor how he will cope with competition for places. The burning problem for Liverpool this season will be the absence of a world-class winger, either on the right or left side, depending on where Babel is preferred.

The arrival of Torres last season improved Liverpool’s offensive play beyond description, yet in big games, against the big opponents, where defenses nearly always come out on top, we still lacked that potency and ability to break teams down. When the top teams play each other, breaking each other down through the middle is almost a myth nowadays.

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